year four

Sulu becomes a Klingon and beats up Kirk, Arex saves the day, we have some more random flashbacks, and Kor tries to kick the bejebus out of the Enterprise… who will win the race!? We find out in our review of the final two issues of D.C. Fontana’s forray into Star Trek The Original Series’ ‘Year 4.’

The fourth year of the original five-year mission continues with IDW’s Star Trek: Year Four #2. The Enterprise detours to Aarak 3 to replenish their supply of dilithium crystals. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are entertained by King Marat when terrorists attack and nearly succeed in killing the king and his guests. Kirk learns that rapid change since the Federation began buying dilithium has split Aarakaian society. Spock believes that overthrow of the government is inevitable. While Kirk decides whether or not to intervene, Scotty gets some assistance installing new dilithium crystals from a very attractive Aarakaian with more on her mind than starship engines. While the Aarakaians play out an elaborate deception, the crew of the Enterprise answers with a little deception of their own.

Star Trek: Year Four is the latest comic series from IDW. It is set in a notional ‘4th season’ of the "Star Trek The Original Series" (during "Star Trek The Animated Series"). The Enterprise encounters an immense planetary mass, capable of supporting 800 billion inhabitants, with only twenty life signs. Beaming down to investigate, Kirk finds Dr. Othello Beck, renowned medical researcher and Phlox prize winner [ENT ref alert!], working in a vast scientific laboratory left by a dead civilization. With Beck are the B’nai, creatures he created to assist in the lab. Kirk and McCoy discover that Beck’s ethics are questionable. He’s hiding a terrible secret which ends tragically.